Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) versions, which first appeared on the mobile scene in December 2010, are currently running on 57.5 percent of all Android devices, new data posted on the platform's developers site shows. The newer Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) comes in at 20.9 percent market ownership. Android 2.2 (Froyo) is running on 14 percent of devices.

So many devices running so many different versions of Android has become the norm. Over the years, a scenario has played out in which the latest products run the newest Android version, but legacy devices are slow to receive those updates. In other cases, legacy devices don't receive updates to the new software at all. The latest data seems to show that the trend continues.

Google's Android distribution data is tallied based on the number of Android devices that accessed its Google Play store in a 14-day period ending September 4.

About the author

Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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